15 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Uncle Buck

1. John Candy wasn’t the first choice to star.

2. Candy appeared in more movies written or directed by John Hughes than any other actor.

Including Uncle Buck, Candy appeared in National Lampoon’s Vacation; Planes, Trains & Automobiles; The Great Outdoors; She’s Having a Baby; Home Alone; and Career Opportunities.

3. A scene in Uncle Buck inspired Home Alone.

Uncle Buck is only the third theatrically released film starring Macaulay Culkin, who shot to stardom a year later thanks to his role in Home Alone—which, like Uncle Buck, was also written and produced John Hughes. The idea for Home Alone first came to Hughes while Culkin was shooting the scene in Uncle Buck where he interrogates Chanice through the mail slot. (Candy also appears in Home Alone, but he and Culkin don’t have any scenes together.)

4. Amy Madigan and Gaby Hoffmann were family in a previous movie.

Madigan, who plays Chanice, and Hoffmann, who plays Maizy, appeared as mother and daughter in the film Field of Dreams, which was released the same year as Uncle Buck.

5. It was shot and released in the same year.

Uncle Buck began filming, was released in theaters, and was released on home video all within 1989.

6. The film was originally supposed to take place in St. Louis.

It was changed to the Chicago area because unusually warm weather in Missouri that year forced the production to move to a more wintry climate.

7. You can visit the Russells’ house—and Buck’s apartment.

The exteriors of the Russells’ house were shot on location at 2602 Lincoln Street in Evanston, Illinois. Buck’s apartment, across the street from Wrigley Field, is located at 3708 N. Sheffield Avenue in Chicago.

8. You might recognize the high school from other John Hughes films.

The high school scenes were shot at New Trier West High School in Winnetka, Illinois, which wasn’t a functioning school at the time of filming. The location was also used in other Hughes films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Sixteen Candles. The elementary school scenes were shot at Romona Elementary School in Wilmette, Illinois.

9. If you look closely, you’ll spot a familiar face.

The classmate sitting next to Maizy in her school scene is actress Anna Chlumsky, who would later star in My Girl with Macaulay Culkin, and who can be currently seen on HBO’s Veep.

10. Buck’s car is a 1977 Mercury Marquis Brougham.

He calls it “The Beast.” Filmmakers used a combination of a gunshot and a firecracker to create its backfiring noise.

11. Pooter-the-Clown is played by character actor Mike Starr.

Among his more recognizable roles are Frankie from Miller’s Crossing, Frenchy from Goodfellas, and Mental from Dumb & Dumber.

12. Uncle Buck’s theme might sound familiar.

It’s a beat from rapper Tone Lōc’s “Wild Thing.”

13. The film spawned two short-lived TV shows of the same name.

The first ran from 1990-1991 and was created without the input of John Hughes or any of the film’s cast. In fact, Hughes didn’t even know the show existed until its producers asked to use exterior footage the director shot for the movie. James Lesure starred in a 2016 version, which was canceled after one season.

14. There was an Indian Uncle Buck remake.

Uncle Bun was released in 1991.

15. You can make Buck’s huge pancakes.

But you’ll need a pretty big mixing bowl. A chef estimated that you’d need 300g of plain flour, 200g of caster sugar, 450ml of milk, 9 medium free range eggs, 100g of melted unsalted butter, and 15g of vegetable oil to make the stack of gigantic pancakes that Buck makes Miles for his birthday.

Welcome to the Party, Pal: A Die Hard Board Game is Coming

On the heels of the 30th anniversary of the classic Bruce Willis action film Die Hard last year, tabletop board game company The OP has announced that John McClane will once again battle his way through Nakatomi Plaza. Die Hard: The Nakatomi Heist is a board game officially licensed by Fox Consumer Products that will drop players into a setting familiar to anyone who has seen the film: As New York cop McClane tries to reconcile with his estranged wife, he must navigate a team of cutthroat thieves set on overtaking a Los Angeles high-rise.

The OP

The game is expected to have a one-against-many format, with one player assuming the role of McClane and the other players conspiring as the thieves to eliminate him from the Plaza.

The OP, also known as USAOpoly, has previously created games based on Avengers: Infinity War and the Harry Potter franchise. Die Hard has spawned four sequels, the latest being 2013’s A Good Day to Die Hard. Willis will likely return as McClane for a sixth installment that will alternate between the present day and his rookie years in the NYPD. That film has no release date set.

Ralph Fiennes Doesn’t Want to See Anyone Else Play Voldemort

Who knew actor Ralph Fiennes would be so possessive of his Voldemort role from the Harry Potter movies? After all the hours sitting in a makeup chair, putting on a bald cap, and making his nose disappear day after day, you’d think Fiennes would be ok with never playing this evil character again—especially considering that he almost turned down the role in the first place. But it seems that the character really grew on the two-time Oscar nominee. As Screen Rant reports, Fiennes has made it clear that if Voldemort is ever needed in a future film, he's ready to come back.

“Well, there are variants, aren’t there? Fantastic Beasts and things. I feel a kind of affection for Voldemort," Fiennes said while appearing on Newsnight. "So if there was a world in which Voldemort came back, I would be very possessive about wanting to reprise that."

Voldemort coming back was always a lingering danger in the early Harry Potter books and movies, as fans waited eagerly to see the Dark Lord reborn and return to full power. It was definitely worth the wait when we were finally able to watch Voldemort return toward the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book—and movie—in the series.

As of right now though, it's uncertain whether Fiennes will ever get the chance to reprise his role. The only movies exploring the Wizarding World currently are the Fantastic Beasts films, which take place in 1927. Voldemort was born in 1926, so even if there would be a substantial time jump, Fiennes might be too old to play Voldemort. But at least we know that he is dedicated to the character, and that if Voldemort ever did come back, fans could count on him to jump right back into the role.